Sacrificing Happy Endings
by Orcalover1
Summary: Takes Place at the End of the Last Olympian From Nico's Point of View


"Come on you have to make an appearance. You may never get another chance to gloat like this ever again"

With that he agreed to follow me into the Empire State Building, which was oddly enough lit up blue, I suspect this was Percy's doing. As I got into the elevator and listened to the disco tunes I finally realized how strange my life had become. Here I was at only 12 years old helping win the biggest battle in history only to jump into an elevator with my dad who just also happens to be Lord of the Dead. No biggie.

"I can't wait to see the look on Zeus's face when he realizes he needed me." My father broke into a wide grin. I realized that was the first time I had ever seen my father smile. He almost looked like a normal father congratulating his son on a three pointer he made in a basketball game. Just then the elevator doors opened and we stepped out onto a scene of chaos. Satyrs, Nymphs, and Demigods were running around frantically tending to the wounded. One of the stranger scenes involved Thalia struggling under the weight of a Hera statue while a group of Cyclops rushed to help her. My father walked briskly, his eyes unwaveringly focused on the horizon. I struggled to keep up with him. As we passed I could sense the affects of his aura of power. Half-bloods would freeze as we walked by and get down on their knees. I couldn't tell if was from respect, fear or maybe a little bit of both. My dad then stopped right before we entered the throne room. He took a deep breath.

"It has been many eons since I have been allowed on Olympus not on the Winter Solstice. Be prepared my son to see the audacity of my brothers to shun me even when they are indebted to me."

We walked into the council room only to be met with thunderous applause. My father was so stunned he took a couple steps back. The Lord of the Dead looked like a deer in the headlights as his relatives clapped him on the back.

"Those were some pretty cool moves out there kid" Clarisse La-Rue bellowed at me.

"I hear you fought valiantly" Artemis told me. I stiffened remembering how she once stole Bianca from me then took a deep breath. Keeping grudges was a fatal flaw for children of Hades. After that demigod after demigod came up to me offering their congratulations. People who never looked twice at me before suddenly thought I was the greatest thing since birthday cake flavored ice cream. All of that was fine and well but truth be told I didn't care what any of them thought of me. I was just looking for him. Thats when I saw him in the middle of the room talking with Hephaestus. I nonchalantly weaved my way through the crowd pretending I didn't know he was there. Pretending he wasn't the center of my universe.

"Nico" he said when his bright green eyes caught sight of me. I was utterly speechless as I looked at his sea-blown black hair, unable to meet his eyes. He wrapped his arms around me pulling me in for a hug. It was the first time I had let someone hug me since Bianca died. I let my hand rest on the vulnerable spot on his back, his 'Achilles Heel'. Today I had come so close to losing him, and that was something that I could never let happen again. I closed my eyes and felt his heart beat against mine. In that moment nothing else mattered but him.

"We couldn't have done it without you" Percy whispered in my ear. I wanted to say something nice back. Anything at all would do. I wanted to tell him that he was the bravest person I had ever known. I wanted to apologize for blaming him for what happened to Bianca. But most of all I wanted to tell him what he meant to me. By the time I had worked up the courage to say anything he had released me and was now locked in an embrace with his father. I smiled knowing how rare it was for an Olympian to show affection. I suddenly felt uncomfortable and out of place being there. Large groups of emotional people weren't my thing. That was the reason I never attended a day of church or a boy band concert. I made a beeline for Hestia who was tending the Hearth. I did this because Hestia was home, familiarity. She was the last and in my opinion the most important Olympian. When I got there I found my father sitting on a simple stone guest chair at the foot of the hearth. I sat down cross-legged at his feet. Then Zeus began some long talk about the bravery of the gods but I was focused on Percy, who was way more important to me then the Lord of the Skies. He stood across the room nervously fiddling with the beads on his Camp Half-Blood bracelet. Annabeth walked in and stood next to him. She looked good for someone who'd recently been in a war zone. By the look on Percy's face I could tell he agreed. She whispered something and they began giggling. I turned my attention back to Zeus

"As for my brothers we are thankful-" Zeus cleared his throat like the words were hard to get out-"rem thankful for the aim of Hades." My father nodded and had a smug expression on his face. He patted me on the shoulder. I beamed for it was the first display of affection he had ever shown towards me. The meeting went on with various Gods expressing their thanks towards one another until Poseidon stood up.

"Percy Jackson" he announced. The name echoed in the silence. I smiled at Percy reassuringly. It then struck me. I knew what was about to happen. They were going to offer him the ultimate prize: Immortality. As the conversation went on it had only confirmed my worst fears. After all that I had been through I was going to loose Percy after all. I was about to scream out in panic when I stopped myself. Maybe becoming immortal is what is best for Percy. Who would I be to deny him that? He certainly earned it. And if I really cared about him I would let him go no matter how much it hurt. After all I was used to being alone. My eyes met Annabeth's stormy grey ones and I had a feeling she was thinking the same thing. That's when Percy shocked everyone in the room, immortal and mortal alike by uttering one simple word. "NO."

"You are turning down our generous gift?" Zeus asked in a mixture of confusion and anger.

"Don't get me wrong I'm honored and everything but I have a couple things left worth living for" Percy said as my heart did a gymnastic routine. "However I do have a wish and I want you all to promise on the River Styx to grant it."

"You don't trust us" Apollo stammered.

"Someone once told me" Percy said looking at my father "you should always get a solemn oath."

Hades/dad/papa/don'tknowwhattorefertohimas shrugged "guilty".

Percy managed to get the gods to claim all of their children even children of the minor gods. I watched in awe at Percy's continued selflessness. My admiration and respect for him grew which I didn't even know was possible. Then he made a fatal mistake, he included my father in the category of minor gods.

"Are you calling me a minor god?" he bellowed. O no here it comes. I was prepared to stop my father from turning Percy to ash but Percy didn't miss a beat.

He continued "No my lord but your children shouldn't be left out. They should have a cabin at camp. Nico has proven that."

I felt touched. Here was Percy giving me the one thing I wanted more then anything else in the entire cosmos: a home. And the knucklehead didn't even expect anything in return. I sat and pondered this for a long while. My father bid me farewell and assured me I would have a place at his palace should I ever need one. I thanked him and he was on his way. I sat by the flames warming myself unwillingly to join the celebrations just yet. A stunningly beautiful woman approached me. She had flawless blonde hair and she was wearing a bright pink ball gown. She kind of looked like some sort of Disney princess. She at first paid me no attention and she was dapping her eyelids with a kleenex.

"I'm sorry I'm such a mess I just recently lost my daughter Silena" she blew her nose in the most elegant fashion imaginable. "But you know what they say the heart must go on. And being the goddess of love I can't afford to stay gloomy for long with all this romance going on."

"What do you mean my lady". I was nervous I would say the wrong thing as Aphrodite is known for being a temperamental goddess.

"Nico Di Angelo you of all people should know to what I'm referring to. Did you really think your friend Percy Jackson turned down immortality out of the goodness of his heart? Please, he did it for love! Although I can't really blame you for not realizing this. Love does make people blind after all."

"I dddoont know what your talking aboutttt" I stuttered.

"O I think you do Nico. I'm the goddess of love Nico these things never get past me. I know that Percy is the one who you care for more then anything."

I couldn't hold it in anymore "What should I do Aphrodite? I'm afraid if I say anything that it will only push him away from me. And that is the last thing I want. I would rather die then let that happen."

"Love is difficult but it is always worth the risk. For there is no worse fate then sitting idly by while the one you love runs off with another. You will never know what they might of said or what might have been if you only had the courage to say something. Not telling Percy of your feelings is the worse choice to make."

I contemplated these words and took them to heart. Aphrodite was right. She was an expert at these sorts of things, it was her job for crying at loud. "I'll do it! I'm going to march straight down to camp and tell Percy how I feel about him!" Aphrodite broke into a wide grin. Without another word I took off. I settled the butterflies in my stomach by telling myself that her smile was a good omen.

Later That Same Day…..

Campers still kept highfiving me. I didn't care, I had grown indifferent toward them. There was a barricade that I wasn't quite ready to break. I took a seat at the dining table with Mr. D and Chiron. Thats when a light bulb went off: it was August 18th, Percy's birthday. I abruptly got up and ran off to the camp's kitchen. Everything I needed was strangely set out on the counters already. I quickly set off to work, I used to love baking but since Bianca died I had no one to bake for. As I cooked I was internally trying to make sense of my whirlwind of a day. So much had happened: Kronos was defeated, Western civilization was saved, Rachel became the new oracle, but more then anything Percy's decision to give up godhood and Aphrodite's words were stuck in my mind. Finally my masterpiece was finished. The cake had a bright blue border and in the middle a picture of Percy pointing Riptide at the manticore. That was how I first saw him, a fearless hero who was willingly to risk everything for two complete strangers. Maybe I could be like that someday. I went outside, cake in hand, to see Percy with a plate of blue food at the Poseidon table, as per usual. Ok this is it I thought. All I got to do is go over there and ask for a word with him. It can't be any scarer then facing a titan army right? Wrong, this was much more frightening.

"Snap out of it Nico" I heard Aphrodite's voice in my head. "You are a child of the underworld people are supposed to fear you not the other way around! Go up to Perseus Jackson and tell him how you feel. This is your best chance."

Her words beckoned me foreword, gave me the courage to proceed. Here goes nothing I thought to myself. I took a deep breath and called out in a high pitched voice "Per-" I stopped when I realized he wasn't sitting alone. Annabeth was sitting close to Percy…too close. A brick shaped blue cake sat on the table between them. I was about to walk away with the intention of talking to Percy later when I heard my name.

"Nico said I had to concentrate on one thing that kept me anchored to the world, that made me want to stay mortal" Percy gulped. "Then up on Olympus when they wanted to make a god and stuff, I kept thinking"

"O you so wanted to" Annabeth interjected.

"Well maybe a little. But I didn't because I thought things would stay the same for eternity, because things could always get better. And I was thinking…"

"Anyone in particular?" Annabeth asked in a small voice.

"You are laughing at me" Percy complained.

"I am not"

"You are so not making this easy."

"I am never ever going to make things easy for you, Seaweed Brain. Get used to it."

When their lips touched a surge of emotions rushed through me: despair, anger, jealousy, but most of hopelessness. I wanted to scream but I couldn't find my voice. I knew i should be happy because Percy was happy but I just couldn't overcome this empty feeling I had inside. Suddenly the pavilion was filled with torchlight and campers. I couldn't face them so I ran. I ran and ran until my sobs made further movement impossible. I glanced down at the cake, the picture of Percy blurred from my tears. I let out a blood curdling scream worthy of a son of Hades and threw the cake to the ground. The tears running down my cheeks flowed faster then the River Styx. I cried even harder then I did after Bianca died because now I knew that beyond a shadow of doubt I was completely and utterly alone. Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse I felt a presence behind me. O great someone to witness my humiliation. I spun around to find the goddess Aphrodite looking down on me with contempt.

"Poor poor Nico. It seems you loose everyone you love first your mother, then your sister, and now Percy. Love can be very cruel indeed" she stated as matter-of-factly.

"You..you did this to me".

"Well of course. You see Nico I live for a tragic love story. It has been a couple centuries since we have a decent one, which makes me bored out of my mind. The greatest love stories always end in tragedy: Romeo and Juliet, Helen and Paris, Orpheus and Eurydice need I go on. Anyways I have an especially tragic end for Percy and Annabeth. Lets just say that they will be taking quite a fall from their current state of euphoria" Aphrodite laughed.

"You're a monster. I won't let you hurt him."

"I thought you might say that but alas little Nico you can't stop me I'm a goddess. Percy's fate and yours are not intertwined, but with Annabeth he shall be part of a love story for the ages. And I will not have some measly child of the underworld messing this up. I have long tried to crush your belief in love Nico Di Angelo but you are annoyingly persistent for a son of Hades."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, as I was completely baffled.

"Ha do you think it was an accident that Bianca found that figurine from that childish game in my husband, Hephaestus's junkyard? No I put it there knowing that she would pick it up wanting to give it to her sweet little brother." I gasped unable to fathom what I was hearing. "You see Nico I am the reason Bianca Di Angelo is dead. I needed to destroy your belief in love and I temporarily did so by making you believe that the object of your affection was responsible for her death. It quite a genius plan if I do say so myself. And the other gods just think I'm a pretty face" she said obviously very proud of herself.

"I don't understand, why would you do that to me? To her? What have we ever done to you?"

"It is not what you did child it is what you will do. Besides potentially messing up this Percabeth drama I have been working on, I have seen a version of the future in which you steal the heart of a very special demigod away from one of my daughters. I cannot allow this to happen. I refuse to become a laughingstock. I can already hear the mockery I will be subject to: the goddess of love whose own children loose out on love. That is why I have had to take such drastic measures concerning you. My reputation depends on it." With that Aphrodite pulled out a pocket sized mirror and began applying mascara.

"You are a monster. I won't let you take anyone else away from me. You hurt Percy and I will make sure you earn a one way ticket down to Tartarus."

Aphrodite laughed "O the irony. Silly Nico it is not smart to threaten a goddess. If you had threatened Hera or Athena you would most likely be a pile of ashes by now. For your sake its lucky I'm not humorless like those hags. But perhaps I have underestimated your commitment to the Son of Poseidon. How about I make you a deal? You will be able to save Percy from his tragic fate and he will live happily ever after with the Athena girl. But in return you will give up whatever chance you may have had of finding love. You will sacrifice your happy ending so that Percy may have his. Choose Son of Hades. Will you be tortured by knowing your precious Percy is with another or be tormented by the fact that he will meet his doom and you could have prevented it?"

"You of all olympians should know what my answer will be" I replied. "I would do anything for Percy no matter the cost."

Aphrodite gave me a smile full of fake sympathy. "You have made your choice I hope you don't regret it. If it is any consolation children of the underworld never get happy endings." The goddess of love then disappeared in a shower of white doves.

I stood up and wiped the tears off my face. I had to be strong. I tried not to think of Percy, it was too painful. Instead I focused on my newfound hatred of Aphrodite. I knew what I now must do. I would go down to my father's realm to prove her wrong. Down there I would find a child of the underworld and bring them up to the world of the living. They will have a second chance at achieving a happy ending and I would make sure that they wouldn't fail. No goddess was going to stop me. I took one last look at the world of the living. I would be back I promised myself. Once Percy needed me I would be back. I took a deep breath and shadow traveled away.


End file.
